Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with everyone my pride in the remarkable citizen engagement of Mr. Karel Mayrand, who is originally from Rimouski.

Mr. Mayrand is the David Suzuki Foundation's director general for Quebec and was recruited by former vice-president of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore to be a presenter for his Climate Reality Project.

The only francophone presenter chosen by Mr. Gore, Mr. Mayrand participated in the 24 Hours of Reality event in New York to make people aware of the serious consequences of climate change and the urgent need to take action to counter its effects. You can watch his presentation, in French, on the Climate Reality Project Canada site.

His background is impressive and inspiring. He wanted to become an agent of change and, through his involvement, effort and perseverance, has achieved that goal and now works with the most influential people in the field.

Congratulations, Mr. Mayrand. We hope that your commitment will set an example for those who also want to make a difference.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men. It is the third leading cause of cancer death and will claim an estimated 4,100 lives this year alone, including many in my hometown of Oshawa. Most prostate cancers can be cured if detected and treated in their earliest stages.

We are extremely proud of our work to accelerate progress in cancer research, prevention and treatment for Canadians. Funding of $250 million over five years will be renewed for the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer to continue its excellent work. Last year alone our government, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, invested an additional $159 million in cancer research.

Early detection, and leading a healthy, active lifestyle can decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Through the combined efforts of both the government and Canadians we can make a difference and save lives. Please join me in recognizing Prostate Cancer Awareness Week.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians can count on this government to keep our streets and communities safe.

As part of our commitment to crack down on crime, our government took the important step of bringing to Canadians' attention the 32 most wanted criminals, including Shameer Allie. This individual had been on the run since January, when CBSA had ordered his deportation after he had been found guilty of numerous criminal offences, including assault.

Despite the opposition's complaints, we went ahead with our approach, and it is delivering results. So far, six of those 32 dangerous criminals have been arrested.

Our government will continue to take action to protect Canadians and to make our streets and communities safer. I know that my constituents in Etobicoke Centre will definitely appreciate this.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call for action on high speed rail in Canada.

My former leader and friend, Jack Layton, assigned me the Quebec City to Windsor high speed rail portfolio to increase the use of passenger rail and improve the service in that corridor.

Well known to all, Jack expected us to not just criticize or be in opposition, but to build a plan and see it through.

With that in mind, I have been researching and reaching out, and last week launched the Need for Speed campaign. My first goal was to determine interest in a Quebec City to Chicago route that would link Canada to the United States. I went to Michigan and met with elected members and bureaucrats alike. With $200 million in upgrades from Detroit to Chicago currently happening, Americans at all levels of government are interested in a future rail connection with Canada.

In Canada I met with the private sector, elected officials and others who see the merits of higher speed rail. The problem in Canada is that we see study after study, but no action.

I have asked the Minister of Transport to create an inclusive working group of municipalities, provinces and the public and private sectors to develop a long-term business plan, ultimately bringing Canada into the modern rail age.

I miss Jack. He was a big supporter of high speed rail. It is projects like this that keep his legacy alive.

Mr. Speaker, on May 2 Canadians gave us a strong mandate to keep the streets and communities safe.

As part of that mandate, we made a promise to re-introduce important law and order legislation that would keep Canadians safe from coast to coast to coast, legislation that was opposed by the NDP and the Liberal Party. We said we would pass it within the first 100 sitting days.

I am very proud to say that today the Minister of Justice tabled the Safe Streets and Communities Act, a comprehensive piece of legislation that will keep Canadians safe, legislation that will protect our children from sex offenders, eliminate house arrest and eliminate pardons for sex offenders and give law enforcement officials, courts and victims tools they have told us they need.

We promised Canadians that we would be taking this action, and today we are delivering on that promise. I call upon members of the opposition to support these important law and order measures.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to pay tribute today to Marthe Asselin-Vaillancourt, a pioneer in social involvement in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean.

Ms. Asselin-Vaillancourt's career has been exceptional in many ways. Since 1976, she has been dedicated to the issue of women who are victims of violence. She has been director of a Crime Victims Assistance Centre, co-chair of the Canadian Panel on Violence Against Women, and regional and provincial vice-president of the Association québécoise de la défense des droits des retraités in Jonquière.

I would also like to point out that as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, she was recognized for being the woman who has made the greatest and most consistent contribution over the past 25 years.

Mr. Speaker, as you probably know, her most recent distinction was receiving the Order of Canada.

She is a great woman whose commitment to her community has been a source of inspiration for over 50 years and will continue to be for future generations. Today, I would like to express my admiration for Ms. Asselin-Vaillancourt. Her contribution to our community is invaluable.

On behalf of the people of Jonquière—Alma, I congratulate Ms. Asselin-Vaillancourt on receiving the Order of Canada and offer my sincere thanks for all of the work that she has done—

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is squarely focused on what matters most to Canadians, jobs and economic growth.

Canada's economy has created nearly 60,000 net new jobs since July 2009, the strongest job growth on record in the G7. We are working hard to implement the next phase of Canada's economic action plan and its job-creating measures, like the hiring credit for small businesses.

The global economic recovery, especially in the U.S. and Europe, does remain fragile. The last thing Canada's economy needs now are the massive NDP and Liberal job-killing tax hikes that would kill jobs and set Canadian families back.

Staying the course with our prudent low-tax plan will support Canada in completing the economic recovery and help create jobs for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, this week is Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, and I would like to take the time to mention the 25,000 men who will be diagnosed in 2011 as well as the 4,000 of them that we could lose to this disease.

I think about the families and friends of those who will have to face this immense challenge. In particular I am thinking about our political family, which suffered such a huge loss this summer.

However, I cannot help but think about the Canadian men and women who participate in initiatives such as Movember and other fundraisers, because, despite all of the great accomplishments, we must still work to raise awareness amongst men 50 and older. We encourage them to talk to their health care professionals to learn more about the disease.

We demonstrated it just this morning in Parliament, where I had a screening test. With research, awareness and the generosity of Canadians, we will one day beat this disease and improve the lives of our families.

Canada is a leader on the humanitarian stage and keeps its commitments when it makes a pledge. We recognize that we must entrench accountability in everything we do and deliver on our promises.

The World Health Organization and the World Bank estimate that by 2015 the G8 Muskoka initiative will prevent the deaths of 1.3 million children under the age of 5, and prevent the deaths of 64,000 mothers.

Mr. Speaker, prostate cancer will afflict one in seven men in this House of Commons and across Canada. This disease is the most common cancer among Canadian men. As many as 25,000 Canadians are diagnosed with it every single year. Last year, our friend and colleague, Jack Layton, was one of them and faced the disease with courage and determination.

As a cancer survivor myself, I joined Jack in encouraging Canadian men over 40 to get checked, because the earlier it is detected the better chance they have of beating it.

September is prostate cancer month. This year the Prostate Cancer Canada Network wants us men to know that it is our time as men to take charge of our own health. I ask all members of this House and all men in Canada to join in the fight against prostate cancer.

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the New Democratic Party apparently has a miracle solution to get the economy back on track: tax increases and irresponsible spending. She is wrong. Canada's economy does not need job-killing tax hikes, nor does it need spending that would slow the economic recovery and mean a step backwards for Canadian families.

The global economic recovery remains fragile. We must not underestimate the impact of problems beyond our borders on the Canadian economy.

The NDP is acting irresponsibly by claiming that tax increases are the answer. On the contrary, they would jeopardize our recovery.

This is just one more troubling example of how ill-equipped the NDP is to govern Canada. Our government will stay on course with our prudent plan to keep taxes low, thereby bolstering our economic recovery.

Our Conservative government remains firmly focused on what matters to Canadians: jobs and economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservative government, President Obama gets it. He knows that his government has to invest in the economy because the private sector is not doing so. The same is true here in Canada. The Conservatives are making bad choices. The tax cuts for big corporations and big banks have not created jobs.

Why is the government refusing to face facts and accept that it is up to the government to stimulate the economy and create jobs?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians gave us a strong mandate and we are focused on economic growth and job creation. Again today, the IMF has predicted that Canada will lead the G7 economies. This shows that our plan is the right plan. We will keep taxes low. I want to remind hon. members that 600,000 net new jobs have been created since we came to power. We will continue to implement the budget. There will be a new small business hiring tax credit. That is what creates wealth.

Mr. Speaker, there is more bad economic news. The Conference Board of Canada dropped Canada's rating on income equality. The middle class is falling further behind. Inequality has increased in the past 10 years. Surprise, surprise; it is the same 10 years of the big tax cuts for big corporations.

Is this not another example of the Conservatives' economic inaction plan?